Watching A Sister Die
by keepholdingon1
Summary: Phoebe wakes up one morning to devastating news. Piper and her boys have been involved in a mysterious car accident.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_No Charmed One's in this story guys, just Phoebe and Piper without magical powers. Phoebe is a nurse and Cole and other random charectors such as Tim and Ralph are doctors. Oh and Kara is the receptonist._

A call woke up Phoebe in the early hours of the morning. With a groan, she rolled over and answered it. She was not surprised to hear Kara's voice. She felt selfish for wishing that the matter was impersonal, job related. She wished with every fibre in her body that the patient, needing her attention in the middle of the night, was some stranger. But she knew better. "

Who is it Kara?" she said immediately.

"Piper and the kids."

_Oh my god..._ Her uniform was already on; she was already out of the door and driving into the hospital entrance without even one single thought. She felt numb as she made the routine walk to the emergency room. Ralph caught her eyes immediately.

"Is she...?"

"She's alive." He said. "But it's too early to tell, Pheebes."

She nodded.

"Chris, Wy?"

Her voice came out much more emotional then she intended.

"Chris's in burns unit, third degree burns I believe."

"Oh my God." She put a hand to her face. "And Wyatt?"

She was afraid of the answer.

"He's fine, just minor injures."

She sighed in relief.

"Excuse me..." She pushed past him.

* * *

She looked like half a person. That was how much her body was smashed and bleeding. Terri saw patients like this almost everyday but not like this. Not her sister. She fought the tears and gazed into her blank face.

"It's me, Phoebe."

She never thought she would ever talk to someone who was unconscious. But now she knew how it felt like, and the hopelessness led her to desperation.

"You are going to hang on, Piper. Don't you dare die on me."

She clutched her cold hand and suddenly it all felt too real to her. She had to get out of the room.

* * *

The feeling was so weird. She was by herself in her office and the uncertainty was killing her. She tried pacing, cleaning the place up, eating, but nothing seemed to make time go any quicker. _Where was Cole? He would take her away from all of this. _She mustered the courage to go see Chris. It was horrible, seeing the flesh missing from his face. But it was better than seeing a conscious Wyatt, and not being able to tell him that his Mum was going to be OK.

* * *

When Cole entered the ward he knew something had changed. For one, everyone was looking down. And Phoebe was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm sorry I'm late guys, what happened?" H

is question was ignored for a couple of seconds before Kara spoke up.

"It's Piper. She was in a car accident. The boys were in the car."

"Oh..."

"That's not all. Tim just told me she had alcohol in her system."

Cole felt like he had been crushed.

"Piper wouldn't..."

"Tests don't lie, Cole." He wrung his hands like he always did when he was worried.

"Where's Phoebe?" He demanded.

* * *

She never looked so alone, standing in her office, her head out the window, body trembling. Cole couldn't believe no one was there with her, that she was all alone here to go through this agony. The opening of the door made her turn around and see her. Her brown eyes were full with pain. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to. He pulled her small frame close to him and hugged her tighter than he had ever hugged anyone. She sobbed quietly on his chest, just enough for him to notice. His pocket began buzzing and he cursed the bad timing. But working at a hospital always produced bad timing.

"I can get Ralph to cover. I can stay here with you." He offered.

"No I'm fine because Piper's going to be fine."

Her icy eyes stared at him threateningly, expecting him to challenge her statement. If it were anyone else, he would have.

* * *

A knock at the door startled her from her thoughts. She hoped it would be Cole again, but she knew he never knocked. Doctor Martin gave her a brief smile and sat down in the chair in front of her.

"Phoebe, this isn't going to be easy..."

"Just tell me, Tim."

"We did a blood test and we found your sister had a BAC of .12"

Phoebe screamed inside.

"She wouldn't... the kids..."

_I've known Piper my whole life and she's never had more than a sip of wine on New Year. Does Tim expect me to believe him? That she would risk her kids? _But deep down, she was letting the wrapping of her heart unravel and letting something sinister take its place.

* * *

_Two words. Review. Please._


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much for the reviews :)

* * *

_New charectors._

_Paige Matthews- no she's not Phoebe and Piper's sister, she's one of Phoebe's good friends at the hospital_

Work normally seemed to take Cole away from his troubles but today every sight of blood, every scream of pain took him back to seeing Piper's broken body and Phoebe. He ached to be with her, even though it killed him to see her like this. He hadn't seen her like this since her sister, Prue had died and prayed that this time, they would be lucky. He had just got out of surgery when he ran into Kara. She was smiling

"Piper's stabilized, can you tell Phoebe?"

"Sure but why not just ring her?" He said slightly confused but pleasantly surprised with the good news. "

She went for a walk, left her phone behind."

"OK." He took a wild guess and headed towards the park.

* * *

"Hey you." He said, sneaking up behind his best friend.

"She's conscious."

She was too weary for a smile. He grabbed her small hand and led her to the ward. It was as if she had forgotten the way, too involved in her thoughts. She stopped at the door.

"I can't do this, Cole."

He knew exactly what she was thinking; he had been thinking it too. His sister was killed by a drink driver and he frankly had no time for them. He now had to face that his good friend, someone who he thought was a completely responsible, intelligent, good person, was one of them.

"She needs you." He said, although it was hard. The kids had Piper's ex husband, Leo but Piper only had her sister.

She nodded and he leaned forward and brought his lips gently to her cheek before she walked inside.

* * *

Phoebe swallowed all the confusion, sadness and horror she felt from Tim's news as she entered the room. She saw Piper stiffen and her eyes find the wall as she made her way to her bed.

"Oh, Piper." She said, reaching for her hand but she moved it away.

Phoebe bit her tongue. She was used to being shut out by patients but her own sister rejecting her was painful.

"What happened to you?"

Piper flinched.

"Why did you do it?"

After an awkward minute, she turned her face, diseased with sadness to her.

"I wanted to make the night special. The kids wanted icecream and it was just down the road..." She sighed. "I made a terrible mistake."

She said it so earnestly that Phoebe's heart was pulled out of place.

"It's OK." Phoebe reached out to her, and this time she didn't move away.

"Can I see Chris?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure."

She didn't hesitate to break a couple of hospital protocols for her sister. It was surprising how easily she got Piper into her wheelchair, she seemed to be returning to her normal strength. Phoebe began to retrieve some sense of relief.

* * *

When they visited her son, Piper's pain and regret was perfectly clear. Afterwards, as they waited in the elevator, Phoebe hesitated. She wanted to give Piprt a bit of time after such an emotional moment, but urgency burnt a hole in her stomach.

"Piper," She started.

"Tell me about the alcohol."

It took her a while before she began to speak but by then the doors had already opened and Kara was already jumping at her to help out in an emergency in room 9. Phoebe shot a lost look back at Piper before bolting. She didn't really know her, she realized. Not like she used to.

* * *

She bumped into Paige as she finished cleaning her hands.

"Hey, I heard. I'm so sorry."

Paige gave her a quick hug.

"I would have been here but there were complications in surgery this morning."

"That's OK." Phoebe said, feeling uncomfortable. She knew she should ask about the 'complications,' but she was too tired.

"Hey come, sit, have some lunch." Paige beckoned to the fridge.

"Nah, I'm not hungry, thanks." She had paid no attention to her stomach all day and wasn't going to start now.

"Well at least sit then." Paige insisted.

"Actually, I was going to see Piper."

"I hear that she's stable, there's no reason that you need to be with her all the time."

She gave in and sank in a chair but didn't take any chips that Paige offered her. They talked about Piper and gradually the words got easier.

"I speak for everyone in this hospital when I say that Piper has really shocked and disappointed me." Paige said.

Phoebe sighed as a battle continued inside her.

"I can't even imagine why she did what she did. But all I know is that whatever she did, she still..." She paused and continued painfully.

"I still love her."

* * *

Cole tossed his hotdog wrapper in the bin and moved to the lift. He hated how he had to continue with his everyday routines when it was obviously not a normal day. He punched in floor five, zoomed up and reentered the ward.

"Doctor, your patient in room 2's BP has gone right up." Kara said.

"Can you please please get Chris to look at it?" He persuaded.

"You can't do this Cole."

"I know Kara; I swear it won't happen again."

"OK." She said, fed up.

"But no more."

He thanked her with his eyes.

* * *

On his way to Phoebe's office he saw Doctor Martin and Doctor Gomez talking and picked up a string of words that startled him. "Excuse me guys, I couldn't help overhearing. Are you talking about Piper?"

They exchanged glances. Tim muttered something to the other doctor and he went off.

"We've discovered a venous aneurysm."

Cole felt his heart sink.

"Hows the odds?"

"75 if we get her into theature in the next hour."

Cole felt nerves creeping in. The odds didn't seemed not good enough. He was suddenly aware that they were right outside Piper's room. He peaked through the opening in the door and saw Phoebe. Tim made a move to go in but Cole put his arm in front of him. "Can you just wait. Look at them, they look so carefree."

Tim sighed and nodded.

"I'll be back in five."

Cole stared through , wringing his hands.As he watched Phoebe hug her sister, his stomach tightened.

* * *

Tim came back shortly and patted him on the back.

"I gave you ten, mate." He said before he could say anything.

Bowing his head down in defeat, he followed him in. Phoebe's chocolate brown eyes immediately seeked him out, trying to extract information from him. Although her eyes on his made him melt, he forced himself to put on a calm, relatively cheerful expression. Even so, he made sure he was close enough to her to grab her hand if she needed him. When Tim delivered the bad news, Phoebe rose to her feet and tried to pick holes in his plans. She went over it over and over again as if that would delay the inevitable. He tried to support her leadings, but he was unable to hide his halfheartedness. Gradually the fire in her eyes simmered out and she knelt beside a silent Piper.

"I know you won't let me down, Tim." She said.

He nodded and left. Cole was torn as whether to stay or leave the women by themselves. After a while he chose the second option. He dodged Kara and when he reached the privacy of his office, disattached himself from his buzzer. Never in his career had he done something that rebellious but he needed to be there when she needed him.

* * *

Phoebe's eyes stung as she gazed at her sister, who in just one hour had deteariated to the point where the movement of her mouth to form words caused her pain.

"How much longer?" Piper asked, obviously in pain.

"A half an hour, sweetie." She said, running her fingers through Piper's hair lightly.

"Can I see my kids?"

"Sorry, Piper. But you will soon, after the operation."

The answer didn't seem to satisfy her.

"Heey." Phoebe used her tone to force her to look into her eyes.

"Everything's going to be fine."

Piper remained neutral.

_Say it. _A voice in Phoebe's head insisted. _Say what you told Paige. That no matter what she did you still love her. _The words seemed to slip off her tongue and back into her mouth. The truth was that even discounting Piper's pain and trauma, she seemed like a different person. Phoebe looked around the room for inspiration to take her mind of that dissettling thought.An idea suddenly popped into her head.

"I'm going to get something for you, hon. I promise I'll be back soon." She touched her cheek.

* * *

She entered the cloak room. She knew that a photo of both Chris and Wyatt were always kept in her purse. As Phoebe scrambled around for her purse, she felt a stange shape in the pocket of her blood stained jacket. She was hit with a evil thought but it didn't stop her from opening the pocket and pulling out the item. The shotgun stared menancily at her.

* * *

You know the drill. Review or I will get all emo and not continue the story!!! 


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